


Brighter Shades

by Dana



Series: Life on Mars Drabbles [118]
Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Community: lifein1973, Drabble, Drabble Set, Gen, Post-whump recovery time, Probably inaccurate portrayal of waking from a coma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:50:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9819158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dana/pseuds/Dana
Summary: They've been waiting so long.





	

**Author's Note:**

> [LifeIn1973](http://lifein1973.dreamwidth.org/) Friday drabble challenge #333 – Bright/Dull

Bright white softens to yellow-tinted dinginess, the pock-marked ceiling coming into focus. Sam blinks (once, twice) to help it along, brain stuffed with cotton, mouth painfully dry. 'Gene?' His throat aches from disuse. There's some noise, the scrape of plastic on tile.

'Sam.' It's Annie, sweetly urgent, somewhere above and beyond. 'Guv, he's woken up!'

He tilts his head to look at her, can only just manage. He thinks he smiles, and she smiles in return, a sheen of tears in her eyes. 'We've been waiting so long,' she says, words quivering. He only then notices she's holding his hand.

–

Gene's been keeping himself occupied, for better or for worse. If he's not waiting at the hospital with Annie, he's working too much and kicking seven types of shit out of whatever annoying scrote gets in his way. He's tired, but he's also incredibly stubborn. This isn't the end.

He hears Annie say the impossible, throws his cigarette down and crushes it out. If, after three long, hellish months, when the dull-witted, damnable doctors doubted it would happen, Sam's woken up...

He rests his hand on the door, knows Annie's sat at Sam's bedside, only Gene? Can only see Sam.

–

It seems like such dumb luck, Gene being there at just the right time. Now, after Sam's doctor and nurse shooed them from the room, they're back in the hall, waiting. Gene's feeling more than enough for the both of them, and Annie's glad for the reprieve. She's standing to the side, but he's the one who's pacing, smoking, scowling, and then pacing some more.

It's something bright after too much dull misery, and even though the shock has died down, Annie's hopes are running wild. This is it, Sam's come back to them. Everything is going to be okay.


End file.
